Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Josie and the Pussycats Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 21, 2024

Josie and the Pussycats is the live action version of, well, Josie and the Pussycats. It is the 2001 film adaptation of the classic 1970s animated series about...all sorts of things, and eventually, the animated series led to a follow-up series titled Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space. That is to say that the film adaptation has plenty of room to finagle a story all its own for its big screen debut, so the target is, here, gross commercialization and consumer manipulation in the modern age. It's an adequate film, even if it's about as rote and assembly line-made and pandering and all into the marketing and the very sort of commercialization it purports to speak out against. But with a spunky band and spirited music, it overcomes the trite themes and manufactured feel to provide audiences with a serviceable, and very tongue-in-cheek, look at the modern "music" industry.

"Du Jour" is the hottest band on the planet, but when they "go missing" in what appears to be a tragic plane crash, it's up to evil MegaRecords music mogul Wyatt Frame (Alan Cumming) to sign a new band to replace Du Jour as the top band in the world. His search serendipitously leads him to The Pussycats, a fledgling group consisting of Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook), Valerie (Rosario Dawson), and Melodie (Tara Reid). The group is hardly on the verge of stardom. They have been performing at bowling alleys for pennies, and they are only the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. It would appear that their career has hit a dead end with no way to turn things around. When the girls receive word that Du Jour has disappeared, they decide that they need to do something to be in the spotlight. But before they even have a chance to shine, Frame literally pulls them off the street and gives them a new record deal without ever having actually heard them play. The girls are momentarily confused and suspicious, but it's not long before the contract is signed and they shoot to the top of the charts. Could they truly be a music gem in the rough, or is there something more nefarious going behind the scenes at MegaRecords?

For Wyatt Frame, music means empire, and music is really at the bottom of his concerns. The music business, according to Frame, is not about music. Instead, it's about messaging and manipulation. Josie and the Pusssycats are simply vessels that he hopes he can mold, to take their eagerness for stardom and turn that into industry compliance, to basically stand at the forefront of a business model that uses them as a front for something far more devious and underhanded. Indeed, the girls at first question, if only cursorily, their sudden rise to the top, but they are indeed all too happy to see their names and faces (even if Valerie is not sure about “Josie” standing apart from her and Melodie) all over everything. The result is that the band is an unwitting participant in a secretive manipulation model that seems straight out They Live.

There's a weird dynamic at play in Josie and the Pussycats. The film’s plot not only speaks out against covert consumerism and oversaturation of messaging and manipulation, it makes it a central villain in the film. But as a film that is all about industry power and the process of swaying malleable minds to buybuybuy, the film is by its very structure given the freedom to be exactly what it preaches against: it’s full of adds for Target, McDonalds, Tide, and the like. Certainly the implication is that this film’s consumerism and commercialization are to be taken tongue in cheek while MegaRecords’ is deadly serious business run afoul, but it’s a strange crossover that pits the same characteristic as both friend and foe in the same movie.

Be that as it may, the film is basically effective in it story and it’s somewhat catchy tunes, too. Its over the top by design, but it is also well cast and sounds good, too (the soundtrack was reportedly quite the success on its own). The cast is affable and slides quite easily into the roles of three girls who suddenly find themselves transformed from the verge of nothing to the center of everything. Each girl brings a spirited personality to the parts, even if they are, especially in the case of Tara Reid's Melodie, somewhat vapid up top. The real star of the show, however, is Alan Cumming who devours the role of the sleazy MegaRecords executive who hams it up to great impact and finds just the right look and tenor for this film.

Josie and the Pussycats Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

If ever there was a Blu-ray that could be the textbook entry for a "middling" transfer, this might be it. Mill Creek releases Josie and the Pussycats to Blu-ray with a well depleted 1080p transfer. It's clearly one of those old Univeral masters suitable for standard definition but not really capable of delivering a Blu-ray at 1080p with any measure of visual fidelity or success. The image is lackluster, offering a processed look that robs it of its inherent film-like look, resulting in a flat, lifeless picture with "sharp" details but not that sought-after natural filmic sharpness. Rather, it's a victim of digital manipulation to reduce grain and give the movie a more digitized appearance. Colors are flavorless as well, lacking anything even remotely resembling zip, vividness, and fullness. That's a shame, because this is an abundantly colorful film that unfortunately looks very dull in every single shot. Black levels are not particularly attractive, whites are bland, and skin tones are lifeless. The image is at least free of all but a few cursory pops and speckles and there's not a ton of compression related issues, but this is certainly a very unflattering transfer from Mill Creek.

Josie and the Pussycats Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is more in line with expectations, offering big musical engagement with fierce guitar riffs, total stage saturation, and excellent bass, not to mention clear vocals. Of course, in the style of the era, it's very big and maybe a little over engineered, playing for impact rather than absolute realism, but it's a fun track. The music is definitely the highlight here, but there are some impressive location ambient effects that nicely pull the listener into the film as well. Dialogue is clear and centered for the duration while also holding to very good prioritization, even in some of the louder scenes.

Josie and the Pussycats Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

In a rarity for a Mill Creek Blu-ray release, Josie and the Pussycats includes a fairly large assortment of supplemental content. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

• Audio Commentary: Directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan are joined by Producer Marc Platt to discuss the film.
• Backstage Pass (480i, window box, 23:51): Looking at the cast and crew's love for music, story and characters, performances, making music, and more.
• Behind the Scenes (480i, 4x3, 22:45): A true "behind the scenes" that offers "fly on the wall" access to the set rather than interviews and film clips.
• Deleted Scenes (480i, 4:04): Several scenes given no identifying markers.
• Music Video (480i, 2:54): "3 Small Words" by Josie and the Pussycats.
• Music Video (480i, 3:43): "Backdoor Lover" by Du Jour.
• Music Video (480i, 2:59): "Around the World" by Du Jour.
• Theatrical Trailer (480i, 2:28).

Josie and the Pussycats Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Josie and the Pussycats is a lukewarm film with big ideas that are reduced to amplified cliche. It works as a thoughtless picture about a thoughtful topic, but ultimately it amounts to little more than disposable entertainment, even if it seems to dream a little bit bigger. Mill Creek's Blu-ray presentation is middling, offering merely passable, at best, video. Audio is good enough and there are, surprisingly, several extras on the disc. Worth a look on a very steep sale.